Athletics News Release

No. 1 Union tops Blue Mountain, Bryant ties record

Kayla Bryant

BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. - 2/19/2011 - The No. 1 Union (Tenn.) University women’s basketball team posted an 82-52 win at Blue Mountain (Miss.) College. Union improved to 26-1 on the season and 13-1 in the TranSouth. Blue Mountain dropped to 5-19 overall and 1-12 in league play.

For the second straight game, Union senior guard Kayla Bryant posted career highs. In the win over Blue Mountain, Bryant tied the Union record with 10 made three pointers on her way to 32 points in the game. Two nights earlier, Bryant sank nine 3-pointers as she scored 29 points against Mid-Continent (Ky.). The 10 3-pointers for Bryant puts her on the list with former Union players, Mary Catharine Way and Crystal Eason, who also made 10 3's in a game.

Union’s offense struggled early as they managed just a 34-24 halftime lead. However, the Lady Bulldogs came out of the break and pushed the lead up to 20 points over the first five minutes of play.

Bryant was 0-for-5 from long range in the first half. Bryant opened Union’s scoring in the second half with a three-pointer on Union’s first possession. At one stretch early in the half, Bryant made 7-of-9 three pointers on 10 consecutive Union possessions. Bryant finished the game shooting 10-of-20 from long range.

Union was led by Bryant’s 32, a new career high for the senior. Lavanda Ross scored 15 points, Kayla Hudson added 14 points and Sarah Chan added 12 points. Union shot 47 percent from the field, 41 percent (15-37) from long range and 58 percent (11-19) from the free throw line.

Blue Mountain was led by Erin Parrish with 16 points. The Toppers shot 31 percent from the field, 22 percent (7-32) from behind the arc and 53 percent (9-17) from the free throw line.

Up next for Union will be a home game on Monday, February 21 at 6:00 p.m. versus Lyon (Ark.). This is the make-up game from the early game postponed by the winter storm.